Carbon, Cargo, Covid
As we slide into summer 2022, what are the big factors affecting the markets? Carbon, cargo, Covid. Governments and companies are starting to address the excessive carbon dioxide that is causing climate change. Interruptions of the supply chain, heavily dependent on cargo ships, continue to worsen operational risk. Meanwhile, the global economy is still dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. On May 2, 2022, Derek Walter, head of the Institutional Asset Management Committee at the CFA Society Toronto, moderated two panelists during a webinar to discuss the underlying drivers of market changes. “We need to separate the short-term from the long-term […]
But What About Inflation?
Now that the worst of the Covid pandemic appears to be over for North America, inflation has kicked in and investors everywhere are on guard. Is the inflationary trend here for the long term? What, really, lies at the root of this particular instance of inflation? Moreover, what is the best hedge against inflation? On April 4, 2022, James Montier, a member of the Asset Allocation Committee of the CFA Society of Toronto, gave a one-hour webinar on “Hedging Inflationary Risk.” He is the author of three market-leading books: Behavioral Finance: Insights into Irrational Minds and Markets, Behavioral Investing: A […]
Six Technologies To Ponder
We live in a time of great challenges yet great innovation. Do you feel overwhelmed with the constant proclamations about what problems need solving most urgently, and what technologies are most effective? Do you seek to invest in new technology that has unrealized potential? On March 17, 2022, Alok Jha, science editor for the Economist, engaged two of his colleagues in a few lightning rounds of “Tell Us About Technology.” The colleagues were Slavea Chankova, healthcare correspondent, and Tom Standage, deputy editor. The three of them gave brief speeches meant to summarize a selected technology and its significance to current […]
The Future of Crypto
What’s been happening in the cryptocurrencies market? Is it all merely speculation or is crypto here to stay? What is the future of broader blockchain technologies? What could regulation mean for the world of decentralized finance (DeFi)? On February 24, 2022, Helen Joyce, Britain editor of the weekly magazine the Economist, posed questions to her colleagues: Alice Fulwood, Wall Street correspondent at the Economist, and Matthieu Favas, finance editor at the Economist, in order to explore the rise of cryptocurrency and its potential consequences. “Blockchain can be thought of as a database distributed across many nodes,” Alice Fulwood said, “one […]
The New Interventionism
Have you noticed that governments are stepping in more often to regulate things? There appears to be renewed interest in industrial policy. In the words of the magazine The Economist, “governments around the world are becoming bossier to the private sector.” Why is this? What will be the overall effect? On January 20, 2022, Sacha Nauta, executive editor of the Economist, posed questions to her colleagues: Jan Piotrowski, business editor, and Don Weinland, China business and finance editor, in order to explore the rise of state interventionism and its potential consequences. Old versus New “There’s been an increase in the […]
“Confront Their Reluctance”
“We believe women need to confront their reluctance to consider a leadership role and work actively to counter it with a more positive response.” This clarion call is issued by two top leaders in the academic and corporate world. Indira Samarasekera was the first woman president of the University of Alberta, and a director of Magna International, TC Energy, and Stelco. Martha Piper was the first woman president of the University of British Columbia, and a director of the Bank of Montreal, Shoppers Drug Mart, and TransAlta Corporation. Although neither was born in Canada, both are officers of the Order […]
The Decisive Decade
Raging, uncontrollable forest fires. Prolonged heat domes, causing hundreds of deaths. Catastrophic storms. Flash floods. These are just a few of the effects of climate change being felt this year. Are the countries of the world acting quickly enough to prevent irreversible damage? Two months ahead of the upcoming COP26 negotiations in Glasgow, two editors from the magazine the Economist discussed their expectations of this crucial conference in a webinar on September 23, 2021, before an audience of hundreds. Oliver Morton, the Economist’s Briefings senior editor, and Catherine Brahic, Environment editor, discussed the recent findings of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate […]
Update on the Jab
It’s a truism: bad health of the population, bad economy. What then is happening globally in the Covid-19 pandemic? When will things return to normal? The pandemic continues to rage in various parts of the world, affecting both developed and emerging markets. On July 7, 2021, The Economist, a magazine that has been running stories on vaccines and the Covid-19 pandemic each week, sponsored a webinar featuring an editor and correspondent on the pandemic beat. Natasha Lode, health policy editor at the Economist, highlighted some recent issues. She is also host of the Economist’s podcast The Jab, whose tagline reads, […]
Net-Zero Buildings
How do we build our homes and cities for a sustainable future? Climate change is such a huge, complex problem that tackling it can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, many organizations are addressing various parts of this colossal puzzle. One aspect is the “built environment.” Can existing buildings be modified to cope with climate change? Can buildings be redesigned to have net zero effect on the environment? On July 1, 2021, a panel of experts gave their thoughts on matters relating to climate change and buildings, as part of the New York Times Climate Hub series of webinars. This is the “Built […]
WTO: The Jabs and the Jab-Nots
As the covid-19 vaccines continue to be rolled out across the world, and as trade disputes continue to fester, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has her work cut out for her as the new director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). With many years’ experience in politics, economics, and vaccine production, she already has a deep understanding of the issues. On June 29, 2021, she spoke with Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of the magazine the Economist, about ending the covid-19 pandemic and the future of globalization. Ngozi described herself as a “trade outsider” when she first began at the World Bank, “which has […]